I can only assume he hasn't had a chance to properly sit down and watch DeAndre Hopkins yet, because he absolutely has to be part of the top five. At least that's what I'm hoping, because it's hard to fault Mayock's rankings apart from that. Probably would've had Wilson instead of Landry Jones in the QB's. Great to see future Seahawks first rounder Khaseem Greene rated highly too...

kearly wrote:I disagree with Mayock often, but he is a great listen and I find his unique perspective refreshing. I wouldn't want him running our team exactly, but there are still moments I learn from him.

Also, the 1st round defensive line group is as over-rated this year as I've ever seen it. My goodness.

I think it's a good group, but its also being driven up by the lack of playmakers at QB, CB, RB and WR. I think the DE is lackluster, but the DT group is very good to great.

theENGLISHseahawk wrote:I can only assume he hasn't had a chance to properly sit down and watch DeAndre Hopkins yet, because he absolutely has to be part of the top five. At least that's what I'm hoping, because it's hard to fault Mayock's rankings apart from that. Probably would've had Wilson instead of Landry Jones in the QB's. Great to see future Seahawks first rounder Khaseem Greene rated highly too...

I just don't see the Seahawks investing a first round pick at WSLB. But they always surprise.

I think when they drafted Irvin, they were hoping he'd grow into a 3 down role though. And age isn't as big a factor for evaluators as people think (I've been meaning to write that article for months now, I need to stop being lazy).

4-3 OLB's have been incredibly devalued in recent years and only one has gone in round 1 since 2010. Only a few places have graded Greene in the first round, and some grade him as low as the 3rd or 4th round. He has some similarities to Lavonte David. I think he'll make it to #58, and if he doesn't Arthur Brown might anyway, so I don't see a lot of reason for Seattle to draft him that early, especially if it means turning down the likes of Deandre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Zach Ertz, Kawann Short, Sly Williams, Damontre Moore, etc to do it.

I don't think Greene will light up the combine either. We'll see, but on tape he looks like a good, but not great athlete.

Last edited by kearly on Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

bigtrain21 wrote:Have you written anywhere about this? I would be curious to hear your thoughts on the group if you get the chance. How many DT guys are worthy of a 1st rounder in your opinion.

Not yet, but here's the rundown:

Lotulelei: Looks like Suh for two plays a game, but is otherwise nearly invisible. Reminds me of Michael Brockers last year. Brockers went mid-1st, which is about where I think Lotulelei deserves to go. I don't rate him very high for Seattle because the Seahawks need a more consistent performer.

Richardson: Reminds me of Derek Wolfe last year. More of a tackler than a pass rusher, and the stats bear that out. I liked Wolfe a LOT more though, and Wolfe went early 2nd round last year (and had a great rookie season). Both Wolfe and Richardson are relentless players with top heavy body weights that get by on tenacity than anything else, although Wolfe has good power as well.

Floyd: He has the body of a top 10 pick, and has above average hand use. But there's just one nagging problem- he only had 4.5 sacks over 3 seasons at Florida. He's a bit Geno Atkins like in that he's coming out of the SEC and his production doesn't match what he's capable of. Then again, Atkins was a 4th round pick, and success like his isn't exactly a common occurrence. Floyd will likely be a top 10 pick. Maybe he too turns into a star, but history tells us that such a draft slot is way too high given the risk.

Hankins: Plays like an ogre that throws his size around but is easily repelled by any kind of combo protection. Reminds me a lot of Red Bryant, and that's not much of a compliment coming from me. Not a natural 0 tech and I could see him being a bust easily because teams could struggle to find a role for him, just like the Seahawks did for Bryant. Bryant of course, was a 4th round pick, not a 1st rounder.

Jenkins: A better version of Hankins. Faster, with more violent hands. I like him, but not in round 1 (for Seattle), and I'm guessing he'll be long gone before #25 anyway since he's (IMO) easily the best nosetackle in the draft.

J. Williams: Despite a quick first step, Williams provides zero pass rush. He has what looks like short arms and uses them very poorly. He busts his ass though, and he can bull rush against a 1 on 1. I like him, but he doesn't fit what we need. Second round talent that will probably go in the 2nd round.

Logan: Good size and build for a 3-tech, and he's fast off the snap. He has no clue how to shed blocks though and is often caught with his head down, allowing players to blow right by him. He's a project with decent upside- and could end up a Seahawk somewhere down the line if Quinn thinks he can mold this guy. If he goes in round 1, it's a pretty huge reach though, and some people are forecasting him that high.

B. Williams: Strong and a big hitter with a ton of low level production, but comes from division II and is a bit on/off in his play. High risk, high reward. He'll probably go in round two or three, which I think is fair given the risk.

S. Williams: One of the most well rounded DTs in this draft. Williams has a lot of size for a 3-tech (313 lbs), is sturdy against the run, explosive off the snap, and has excellent swim/rip technique. He looks good as a pass rusher and it's not surprising that he had 6 sacks last season. He's also smart. He recognizes screens as well as any DT I've seen in a while, and knows how to get himself into position to defend them. He will probably be our first round pick at #25, and I can't say that upsets me one bit. I don't think he fixes our pass rush by himself, but it's a great start and if nothing else he's a quality player amongst a field of landmines.

Short: Short isn't a powerful force at DT, but he's about as slippery as they come in this draft class. No other DT finds his way into the backfield more than Short does, but what surprised me when I evaluated him was how he was much better at penetrating on run plays. Usually guys that penetrate on run plays are big guys that explode off the snap (think Brandon Mebane). Short finds a way through by exploiting tendencies in zone blocking schemes. Really smart player. He's similar to Gerald McCoy in the sense that he's a rare finesse DT who is even better against the run than against the pass. Short has been incredibly productive on a consistent basis in a draft class where production is sorely lacking. I keep coming back to these players to recheck my evaluations, and Short is the only player I've been more and more impressed by with every pass.

My DT rankings for Seattle:

1: Short2: S. Williams3: Richardson4: Jordan Hill (round 2-4)5: Floyd (great prospect, but the lack of production just eats at me, especially since even Dan Quinn himself couldn't get production out of him.)

Luckily for Seattle, two the best DTs are also two of the least over-rated, and both currently project as having a great chance of being available at #25.

What I found interesting listening to Mayock on the Rich Eisen podcast, is he said that pick 5 and pick 20 would net a similar player, Meaning there are VERY FEW blue chip recruits in this draft, but there is significant depth. Which plays right into JS hands.

It should be very interesting to see how the draft process shakes out. I'm excited to take a look at some of these players at the combine.